[NevadaARES] S. NV ARES District EC Report - Jan 04

[Glenn Hale]

Southern NV District EC Report for January 2004

The most ARES activity this past month was related to
the progress made with Echolink and IRLP. Technical
Coordinator, Kent W7AOR has worked extra hours to
install an Echolink/IRLP bridge called NV-GATE
(152566) on the 146.46 (123) simplex frequency in Las
Vegas. In addition, he and Jack N8RRL have also
provided another simplex IRLP channel 9257 on 445.00
(123) for ARES and American Red Cross use. 

Section Traffic Manager, Matt N7TOD and I have set
aside the NV-GATE for use to handle NV Section
traffic. Echolink provides a supplement to the
Section's ability to forward traffic from Reno or Elko
to the southern end of the State. A "noon" time net
was set up to exchange NTS message traffic. I've been
linking the Las Vegas area on 146.46 around 12:30 pm
weekdays. The net was established to provide a back up
means of relaying traffic. Most of the area's traffic
has been delivered by HF/VHF packet or by phone and CW
nets. NTS traffic, sent by packet, has been forwarded
from Tahoe station WA6EWV-1 to Bruce AL7LS-7 in Las
Vegas.

The NV-GATE conference node was tested one Saturday
morning after the ARES net. Stations in Reno, Elko,
Las Vegas and Chicago all joined into the informal
Echolink net. The test demonstrated that the NV
Section may now use the Echolink conference node as a
communications alternative over traditional HF. 

San Bernardino Co. ECS/RACES was put on Standby during
the most recent winter storm for the potential for
Flash Flooding and mudslides. I was notified during
the Monday night ECS/RACES leadership net. Las Vegas
Regional SKYWARN supports San Bernardino Co. ECS/RACES
with weather information during severe weather events.
The Las Vegas NWSFO has forecast responsibility over
much of San Bernardino Co., CA.

Saturday morning ARES HF net is held on 3965 lsb at
0830 local.
SCRN Repeater Network Monday night ECS/RACES
Leadership Net can be heard on 448.525 at 8 PM local.

Clark County ARES EC Report by Charlie AA5QJ

Vern Garman K0EGA AEC Operations/Training attended the
Citizens Corp Council meeting on Jan 6, and the second
all-day planning meeting on Jan 27 for the Moving
Target 04 Exercise to be held in Laughlin on April 1.

Several members viewed the online EEIP (Emergency
Information Infrastructure Partnership) Virtual Forum
on 'Interoperability with Amateur Radio Emergency
Communications' on Jan 21. The transcript can be read
at http://www.emforum.org/vforum/lc040121.htm 

Charlie Kunz AA5QJ EC attended the organizational
meeting of the Southern Nevada Community Organizations
Active in Disaster (SNvCOAD) on Jan 22. The mission of
the COAD is to enhance the community's ability to
mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from
disasters through cooperation, communication,
coordination and collaboration.

Don DeCaria NF7R has resigned as AEC NE Clark County
to pursue other educational goals. Roy Wilmer K7YWF
has accepted the appointment.

Members of ARES/RACES supported the Las Vegas Marathon
on Jan 27, providing a communication link to the
command post every half mile for the first 13 miles.
Quite a few runners, as they ran by, thanked the hams
for their support of the race.

A general meeting was held Jan 31st. with 33 members
in attendance.

Glenn Hale KB7REO DEC SoNV and Kent Johnson W7AOR,
Director, Nevada Amateur Radio Repeaters, Inc
(www.narri.org) gave presentations on IRLP and
Echolink and their application in ARES/RACES and for
handling message traffic. An informal state traffic
net is attempted daily at 12:30 on 146.46 simplex
(PL123) connected to Echolink NV-GATE Conference
Server (node 152566).

Updates were given by each of the AECs regarding their
areas of responsibility. 

Vern Garman K0AEG AEC Training/Operations solicited
the names of those interested in a Level 1 Emergency
Communication study group. Contact him at
garmco@cox.net or 641-5963.

Jack Cook N8RRL AEC Red Cross Support and Roy Wilmer
K7YWF AEC NE Clark County were presented their
Certificates of appointment.

A Red Cross Communications Volunteer Orientation will
be held Sat Feb 21 at the Chapter Office, 3672 N
Rancho Dr from 9 am to 4 pm. For more information
contact Jack Cook N8RRL AEC Red Cross Support at
n8rrl@arrl.net or 531-1377.

Frank Drake KL7IPV has volunteered to be our Public
Information Officer. He and Julian Rhinehart W7JFR AEC
Boulder City will work together to establish policies
and procedures for getting the word out on ARES/RACES
activities.

Please submit a new application if you have recently
renewed your license, changed your call or address or
any other contact information.



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